Information

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School presented by Cobra Puma Golf has been conducted at the end of each season to establish which players, not otherwise exempt, will gain their playing privileges on the Tour for the following season through a qualifying competition.

Qualifying School is a test of character and skill for those professionals who are seeking to regain a tournament exemption category or improve on their existing exemption category for the following season and those amateurs who are embarking on their professional career.

The following information is provided as a guide for those players considering entering the Qualifying School. Should you have any additional questions please contact the PGA of Australia Tournament Division by the following methods:

Method and Cost of Entry

The official entry form for Qualifying School will be made available on the PGA of Australia website at www.pga.org.au . Once you have completed the form in full you may submit it by mail, fax or by email using the appropriate contact details provided.

Not all entrants will be required to participate in Stage One Qualifying as their current status may provide them with an exemption into the Final Stage. Entrants should carefully consult the list of exemption criteria outlined on the entry form to determine if they may be exempt through to Final Stage.

The entry fees for 2019 have been set at the following levels:

(a) A$1870 (incl. GST) irrespective of which Stage the applicant is applying to enter; or

(b) A$1155 (incl. GST) former ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Tournament Winners, members who fall under the '10 year tournament members' category for 2019 season, or is ranked in the Top 30 of the Final 2018 PGA Tour Career Money List.

Note: The entry fee does not include travel and accommodation which are the responsibility of each participant.

Conditions Specific to Amateur Golfers

Although there are no age restrictions in place, to be eligible to enter the Qualifying School an amateur golfer must have an official handicap of 2.4 or less.

Amateur golfers are often under the impression that by participating in the Qualifying School, regardless of the final outcome, this will result in them forfeiting their Amateur Status.

As a means of safeguarding their Amateur Status, an amateur golfer may submit an entry for any stage of the Qualifying School and, prior to commencing play, complete a Waiver Form which states that they are waiving any right to win prize money at the School. As they are not competing for prize money they are not placing themselves in breach of their Amateur Status. These forms will be made available at Registration at both stages and will be brought to the attention of all amateur competitors.

Should an amateur who has signed the Waiver Form subsequently finish in a position that offers him the opportunity to take up membership of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and/or the PGA of Australia, they may accept this opportunity and only at that time will they then relinquish their Amateur Status.

Professional Entries

All professional golfers are eligible to enter Qualifying School.

Structure of the Qualifying School

The 2019 Qualifying School will be conducted over two stages. Stage One will be held at four courses:

Wembly Golf Complex, WA (Old Course)

Riverside Oaks, NSW (Gangurru Course)

Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort, QLD

Sandhurst Golf Club, VIC (North Course)

with all players competing in each of the three rounds at their specified venue.

Should entries exceed the maximum number suited to four qualifying courses, the PGA of Australia reserves the right to play Stage One over more than four venues.

The final number of players who will progress to the Final Stage from each course will be announced at the conclusion of the First Round of the First Stage of Qualifying.

Final Stage will be held at Moonah Links Resort, Victoria, 12-15 December, 2018. The field will consist of those players who progress from Stage One and those players who are exempt through to Final Stage.

Play during the Qualifying School will be governed by:

The Rules of Golf, as approved by R&A Rules Ltd

The current ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Conditions of Competition and Local Rules

Any supplementary Local Rules as approved by the Tournament Director

In addition, all participants are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the PGA of Australia Code of Conduct as contained within the Membership Regulations Handbook.

Players are not required to have a caddie and are permitted to use a pull cart.

2019 Playing Opportunities as a Result of Qualifying School

The PGA of Australia has extensively reviewed the opportunities afforded to those competitors who perform well at Qualifying School.

Qualifying School is viewed as an important mechanism for those players seeking to compete both domestically and internationally as a tournament professional and the 2019 Tournament Exemption Categories will reflect this once finalised.

As a guide, below are the 2018 playing opportunities extended to Qualifying School:

The winner of Qualifying School will gain Tournament Exemption Category 8 (a) for the duration of the 2018 season. This category is the equivalent of winning a Tier 2 Tournament on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

Players then ranked 2-5 will be placed in Exemption Category 11 for the duration of the 2018 season. It is envisaged players in this category will gain a start in all State Based Championships as well as having a strong chance in gaining a start in a number of the Tier 1 Tournaments. In 2018, this category has been included in the mid-year category elevation of which the players performance in the first half of the season has determined their position for the remainder of the year.

Players ranked 6-40 will be placed in Exemption Category 16 for the duration of the 2018 season. It is envisaged this category will gain a start in majority of the State Based Championships as well as several Tier 1 Tournaments, depending on how high in this category you are ranked. This category has again be included in the mid-year category elevation which provides players the opportunity to improve their exemption category based on their first half of the season performance, with the goal to gain more starts in tournaments towards the end of the season.

Players finishing in positions 41-55 will be eligible to become Full Tournament Members of the PGA of Australia for the 2018 season, however, they will not hold an exemption category. This will deem them eligible to enter Pro-Am events throughout Australia as well as pre-qualifying for ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Tournaments.

Cobra Puma Golf

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia is pleased to have Cobra Puma Golf on board as presenting partners of Qualifying School.